Roadside HGV emission checks to start in August

The DVSA will be performing roadside spot checks on large commercial vehicles to test for emissions compliance in late summer.

Starting in August 2017, the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will be taking to the roads to perform spot checks on large commercial vehicles as part of its drive to enforce safety and environmental compliance.

The move comes in response to those drivers and operators in the country that make attempts to cheat the vehicle emissions regulations and they are the ones who the DVSA has said it will target with the goal of improving air quality.

Emission cheating

DVSA’s enforcement staff, and their European counterparts, have found evidence that drivers and operators use emissions cheat devices to cut the cost of operating. These include using devices designed to stop emissions control systems from working, removing the diesel particulate filter or trap, using cheap, fake emission reduction devices or diesel exhaust fluid, using illegal engine modifications which result in excessive emissions and removing or bypassing the exhaust gas recirculation valve

As part of the enforcement campaign, the DVSA officers will give the driver and operator 10 days to fix the emissions system if they find a vehicle with tampered emissions readings.

If the emissions system isn’t fixed within 10 days, DVSA will issue a fine and stop the vehicle being used on the road. DVSA enforcement staff can insist that a vehicle is taken off the road immediately if they find a driver or operator is repeatedly offending.

Working with the EU

DVSA will investigate all Great Britain operators cheating emissions and pass the findings to the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, who have the power to remove operator licences.

The government organisation will also continue to work with European agencies to make sure that all offences committed by non-Great Britain hauliers are dealt with locally.

According to the DVSA’s Chief Executive, Gareth Llewellyn, the priority of his organisation is to protect the public from unsafe drivers and vehicles. The DVSA is committed to taking dangerous vehicles off Britain’s roads and this new initiative to target emissions fraud is a key part of that.

“Anyone who flouts the law is putting other road users and the quality of our air at risk. We won’t hesitate to take these drivers, operators and vehicles off our roads,” he said.

Welcoming this latest campaign on rogue hauliers who cheat the system by installing bogus devices which lead to increased pollution, the UK’s transport minister, Jesse Norman said that the same rules should apply to hauliers as the do to car manufacturers, against there has been a justifiable public outcry.

“We all need clean air in which to live and work. That’s why the government has committed more than £2 billion since 2011 to support greener transport,” said Norman.